Bottle carrier



P. J. WOOD BOTTLE CARRIER July 7, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14,1968 FIG.2

INVENTOR PRENTICE J. WOOD ATTORNEY July 7, 1970 P. J. wooo 3,519,127

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Oct. 14, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

INVENTOR PRENTICE J. WOOD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,519,127 BOTTLECARRIER Prentice J. Wood, Jonesboro, Ga., assignor to The MeadCorporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 767,078Int. Cl. B65d /02, 71/00, 85/62 US. Cl. 206-65 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A bottle carrier of the tubular type having top, bottom andside walls and apertures formed in its top wall for Variations in thesize of bottles such as are used as primary packages for soft drinks andthe like are sufiiciently great that a wrap-around type blank havingparticular dimensional characteristics may be adequate for large sizebottles but such a blank may be much too loose for smaller bottles.Conversely a particular wrapper having certain dimensionalcharacteristics may be adequate for small bottles and yet may exert abottle crushing force on larger bottles.

According to the present invention, wrap-around bottle carriers of theneck-through type in which apertures are formed in the top panel forreceiving the bottle necks are constructed with an expansion feature sothat a par ticular blank having particular dimensional relationships canreadily adapt itself for variations in bottle size without imposingundue compressional stress on the larger bottles and which at the sametime effects a secure holding action with respect to bottles of smallersizes.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottlecarrier which is set up and which embodies this invention; FIG. 2 is aplan veiw of a blank from which the set up carrier of FIG. 1 is formed;FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of the carrier during an intermediatestage of a carrier forming operation; FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3and showing the carrier in completely set-up condition; and in whichFIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the carrierand which shows the expansion feature of this invention in detail.

In the drawing the numeral 1 generally designates the top central panelof the carrier to the side edges 2 and 3 of which a pair of slopingpanels 4 and 5 are foldably joined. Finger gripping apertures 6 and 7are formed in top panel 1 in known manner. Bottle receiving aperturesfor receiving the necks of the packaged bottles are designated by thenumerals 8-13 inclusive.

The carrier is provided with side walls 14 and 15 which are foldablyjoined to sloping panels 4 and 5 respectively along fold lines 16 and17. Bottom sloping panels 18 and 19 are foldably joined to the bottomedges of side wall panels 14 and 15 along fold lines 20 and 21respectively and a plurality of bottle receiving apertures 22, 23 and 24are formed in sloping panel 18 while similar apertures 25, 26 and 27 areformed in sloping panel 19.

The bottom panel of the carrier is a composite panel comprising a pairof lap panels 28 and 29 which are fold- 3,519,127 Patented July 7, 1970ably joined to sloping panels 18 and 19 along fold lines 30 and 31respectively. Of course lap panels 28 and 29 are secured together bysuitable means in known manner such as by locking tabs 32, 33, 34 and 35which are formed in lap panel 21 and which are driven through theopenings defined by retaining tabs 36, 37, 38 and 39 which are formed inlap panel 28.

In order to form a medial separating keel between the bottles in the tworows, a medial panel 40 is foldably joined along fold line 41 to an edgeof lap panel 28.

The expansion feature constructed according to this invention centersaround the fact that the spacing between centers of bottles in one rowfrom the centers of bottles in the other row as indicated by the letterA in FIG. 2 is somewhat smaller than the nominal diameter of one bottle.By the term nominal is meant the normal or specified diameter from whichplus and minus variations are permitted within limits. Furthermore, theedge of each of the apertures 8-13 which is remote from the oppositelydisposed aperture is rendered yieldable. For example, aperture 12 isprovided with a pair of slits 42 and 43 which extend to the edge ofaperture 12 to define expansion segment 46 and which thus canaccommodate an outward movement of the bottle such as B1 whose neckportion is disposed within aperture 12. Similarly, slits 44 and 45 whichare associated with aperture 13 define expansion segment 47 toaccommodate limited outward movement of bottle B2 whose neck is disposedwithin aperture 13.

FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of a package during an intermediate stageof the formation thereof. It is apparent from FIG. 3 that the innerportions of the body portions of the bottles B1 and B2 are disposed intangential relationship to each other and that the X and Y axes ofbottles B1 and B2 respectively are disposed in angular relation to eachother due to inward tilting of the bottles. Since the axes X and Y ofthe bottles B1 and B2 are angularly disposed with respect to each otheras shown in FIG. 3, the expansion action of expansion segment 46 definedby slits 42 and 43 and of segment 47 defined by slits 44 and 45 is notapparent in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4 however the expansion segments 46 and 47 are shown inoutwardly protruding expanded position. Thus bottles such as B1 and B2which are slightly larger than the normal bottle size for a particularcarrier having certain dimensional relationships may be easilyaccommodated according to the invention.

As is apparent from FIG. 5 the bottle B1 is spaced in such manner thatits edge portion is spaced from the inner peripheral part designated bythe numeral 48 of the aperture 12 and the expansion segment 46 is shownin expanded outwardly protruding relationship.

Of course if the bottle such as B1 were of a small size, the bottle neckwould be in snug engagement with the peripheral part 48 of aperture 12and the expansion segment 46 would not protrude outwardly but ratherwould occupy a position in the plane of sloping panel 4.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A bottle carrier for packaging two rows of bottles and having top,:bottom and spaced side walls interconnected to form a tubular wrapper,said carrier comprising apertures formed in said top wall for receivingtherethrough the necks of respective bottles, adjacent apertures indifferent rows being spaced apart by a distance between centers which issomewhat less than the nominal diameter of one bottle and the portion ofthe carrier defining the portion of the periphery of each aperture whichis remote from the opposite aperture being yieldable.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein adjacent oversized bottles indifferent rows are disposed with their body portions in substantiallytangential relation to each 3 other and with their major axessubstantially parallel to cause the bottle necks to protrude into theyieldable portions of the peripheries of their associated apertures.

3. A method of forming a package for two rows of over-sized bottles witha wrap-around blank having spaced top, bottom and side panels and havingapertures in its top panel for receiving the necks of bottles, the blankhaving adjacent apertures in different rows spaced apart by a distanceless than the nominal diameter of a bottle and the portion of theperiphery of each aperture which is remote from the opposite aperturebeing yieldable, the method comprising tilting the bottles in the tworows so that their major axes are inclined upwardly and toward eachother and in general alignment with their respective carton apertures,placing the blank onto the bottles so that the bottle necks projectthrough the apertures respectively and above the plane of the top panel,folding the side panels downwardly and simultaneously urging the'bottles into upright positions whereby the necks of the bottles areforced at least partially into the yieldable portions of the apertures.

References Cited WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

